 AmeriCorps members with AmeriCorps NCCC and St. Bernard Project assist with volunteer coordination efforts in Texas recovery operations.
When communities are hit with disasters, it is volunteers who make the biggest difference in helping families recover and rebuild. And that need is not just in the weeks following the event, but for months and years to come. FEMA videographer Samir Valeja and photographer Andrea Booher take a look at what it means to be a volunteer active in disaster.
Check out the video.
Disaster
Legal Corps
The
Disaster Legal Corps seeks to change the lives of victims of disaster through
the provision of high-quality legal services by AmeriCorps members who are
lawyers and law students. Years after Superstorm Sandy, victims are still
seeking the help of full-time lawyer member Sarah Hollender. Sarah’s client,
“Gerry,” is a 59 year-old man who works for the NYC Parks Department. The
two-family home he owns in Far Rockaway, Queens, suffered wind and flood damage
during Sandy and like many Sandy victims, he lacked flood insurance to cover
the bulk of the damage. Immediately after the storm, Gerry quickly hired a
local contractor to make repairs in order to bring the house up to a livable
standard. Unfortunately, the contractor was unscrupulous and took advantage of
Gerry in his time of need. Before any repair work had even started, the
contractor misled Gerry into signing loan documents that falsely stated the
repairs had been completed, allowing the contractor to obtain immediate
payment. Having already been paid, the contractor did very little in repairs to
Gerry’s home and as a result Gerry filed a complaint with the NYC Department of
Consumer Affairs, which regulates contractors. Because Gerry could not afford a
traditional attorney, he initially represented himself in negotiations with the
contractor, who was able to afford representation. He found the negotiations
overwhelming and was not making progress towards an acceptable resolution.
Eventually, Gerry contacted New York Legal Assistance Group’s Storm Response
Unit and was put in touch with Fellow Sarah Hollender. After analyzing the
complicated background of the case, Sarah assisted Gerry in obtaining the
evidence necessary to prove he had been harmed by the contractor. Gerry
identified his ongoing repair needs, and Sarah helped arranged for a free
estimate from a pro bono contractor. Sarah then helped represent Gerry over
several court hearings. In December 2014, a written order was issued fully
vindicating Gerry, and awarding him $30,500 in funds. The fraudulent contractor
was fined more than $50,000.
Link2Health Solutions is currently recruiting youth/young
adult (ages 13-24) volunteer bloggers for the ‘You Matter’
website, which is a youth/young adult-driven online “movement to spread
the word that your problems, your worries, your fears, and above
all you—unique and real you—matter. And because just about
everyone—at some point—hits the wall, we’re here to help.”
Although You Matter primarily focuses on suicide prevention,
they're looking to recruit blogger(s) that have an interest & can write about
the emotional impacts of natural and human-caused disasters on youth &
young adults. Blog topics could include personal accounts of emotional recovery
following a disaster; providing peer support; engaging in self-care;
youth/young adult disaster volunteer stories of helping communities recover,
and what that volunteer work meant to them personally; interviews with first
responders & others engaged in the field, etc.
Get more information and how to apply.
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